From here on out, the Houston Texans must win.
Sitting with a mere two victories — albeit against in-division opponents — the Texans can't afford to drop a game moving forward. They're currently 0-4 at Reliant Stadium and have matchups against several losing teams who have already thrown in the towel for 2026.
Should a loss come on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, what's left to play for? Houston won't be headed toward the postseason and likely will need to shake up the coaching staff and roster to get back to winning football in 2027.
But right now, DeMeco Ryans isn't focused on a potential fire sale before the NFL trade deadline or a run toward the playoffs. Sights are set following a week off on taking care of the Bolts and moving toward a 3-5
record.
“Our opportunity starts this week with us being focused on handling what we can control, controlling what we can control and not putting a focus on a run,” Ryans said. “It's about how do we prepare the right way. How do we play more disciplined? How do we have the self-discipline to go out and play clean football?"
What do the experts think of Houston's chance of making a run to the postseason and where the AFC South's most disappointing team sits entering Week 9? Here's the latest power rankings from the top publications.
Nate Davis,USA TODAY: 26 (Last Week 24)
From Davis: "As generally bad as this 2-5 outfit has been, their schedule still very much portends a world where Houston winds up 10-7."
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports:23 (Last Week 21)
From Prisco: "It's hard for many to see how this team is down this low in the rankings. Here's why: the defense has been a mess. They can't afford another loss or they might be done."
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: 19 (Last Week 21)
From Schwab:"The Texans made a big and questionable move in the offseason, trading fourth- and seventh-round draft picks, along with offensive lineman Juice Scruggs, to the Lions for running back David Montgomery. Scruggs has been more valuable this season than Montgomery, who has averaged 2.7 yards per carry and missed two games with injury. Woody Marks hasn't been much better. Houston has no running game and it's a big reason it is 2-5."
Nick Shook, NFL.com: 19 (Last Week 18)
From Shook: "While we can officially agree Houston’s defense isn’t the unit we’ve known it to be in recent years, the Texans have a favorable road out of the bye. Dates with the Chargers and Colts sandwich a meeting with the Browns, so while 2-5 is a tough place to be after eight weeks, there’s still a path back to relevance. Keep an eye on Marvin Harrison Jr.’s role in the offense, too."
The Score: 22 (Last Week 22)
From The Score:"The Texans are projected to be $41.5 million over the 2027 salary cap, a bad place for a team with two wins near the halfway point of the season. Now might be the time for Houston to see if it can get out of some expensive contracts by dangling guys like Danielle Hunter, Azeez Al-Shaair, and Dalton Schultz on the trade market."
Josh Kendall, The Athletic: 24(Last Week 22)
From Kendall:"It’s frustrating, honestly. Houston started 0-4, showed a spark of life, but then disappointed in a 27-21 loss to the Giants in Week 7. The Athletic’s most recent playoff projections have the Texans with just a 19 percent chance to make the playoffs. But here’s the problem: Houston has the second-easiest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon."
Brent Sobleski,Bleacher Report: 20 (Last Week 22)
From Sobelski:"General manager Nick Caserio was blunt in his assessment of the Houston Texans' defense after disappointing through the team's first seven games. Houston's offense has played relatively well, but the defense underperformed after finishing as last year's top-ranked unit. Expect those previous problem areas to be points of emphasis coming out of the Texans' bye week, especially with the winless Los Angeles Chargers next on the docket."
Ralph Vacchiano, FOX Sports:21 (Last Week 19)
Super Bowl odds: +3500
From Vacchiano: "Here’s the good news for the Texans coming out of their bye: They’re in second place in the AFC South despite a 2-5 record. They’re 2.5 games out of a wild-card spot, but the point is that their division is pretty awful and they still have to play the two worst teams — the Titans and Colts — one more time each. They also get the Chargers, Ravens, Commanders and Eagles, so there are a lot of soft spots in the second half of their schedule. If they can get over their pre-bye loss to the Giants, they still have an outside chance to be OK."
Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated:24 (Last Week 21)
From Orr: "The Texans will face the Chargers this weekend in a battle of the two most confoundingly disappointing teams I can ever remember. This is the kind of hype that forces me to never trust again."
D.J. Bien-Aime, ESPN: 22 (Last Week 21)
From Bien-Aime: "Historically, the Texans haven't made many in-season trades. Zero have resulted in Houston receiving a game-changing player. The hope is Marvin Harrison Jr., who was acquired from the Cardinals in early October, could become exactly that. Thomas was at least the most effective player out of all the choices. In 2018, Houston started 0-3 and reeled off nine consecutive wins to finish 11-5. Houston acquired Thomas after five wins in a row, and in his first game, he had 61 receiving yards against his former team, the Broncos. He finished the season with 275 receiving yards for Houston with two touchdowns."
Cole Thompson, Texans Wire: 20 (Last Week 21)
From Thompson: "I don't believe Houston can salvage a season enough to put itself in a legitimate Super Bowl contender conversation. The defense is seven games into the year, proving this is what it'll be. Still, it's too early to entirely give up on the squad since they have the second-easiest schedule remaining, according to Tankathon. The Chargers, Titans, Eagles and Colts are all likely punting on the season and getting ready for the draft. The Ravens will be without Lamar Jackson in a few weeks when they arrive in Houston. Green Bay is like a hot pocket in the microwave after 90 seconds; maybe hot? Maybe cold? And the Texans have looked more promising over the Jaguars at home over their tenure. If tackling can be fixed, Houston could finish with 10 or 11 wins and make a playoff push.
"But a loss on Sunday is enough to start the fire sale. Better yet. It's enough to say the franchise must move off someone in power."
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: NFL power rankings round-up 2026: How do Texans fare entering Week 9?
